Straight To You
by BillieElliot
Summary: A new life. The one they deserved.
1. Chapter 1

She had been driving all day. A black sports bag sat in the passenger's seat, it contained a few clothes and all the money Selina was able to get back from her crummy place in Old Town. All major highways had been avoided; she didn't want any sort of trouble. She was positive no one would miss the stolen car she was driving, but it didn't hurt to play it safe this time. One of those road house diners suddenly appeared on the side of the highway, the kind that had seen better days. The kind that served coffee for a buck and reheated apple pie for three. It would be the first stop she had made all day. Stepping out of the car she noticed all the cheap specials and the "Free wi-fi" sign, a weak attempt to attract more customers. Well, at least she'd be alone. As soon as Selina had settled herself in a booth by the window, a waitress well into her 50s approached her. She seemed a bit too happy to see a customer and the only thing that came to Selina's mind was: _Shit._

"Just you, honey?"- She could feel her inspecting her. Selina knew the waitress was probably accustomed to seeing truck drivers, old men and maybe even some couples. But not to women like her.

"Yeah, just me."- Selina gave her a meek smile, the sort she would be expecting.

The woman eyed her curiously. "Strange place to wound up _alone_."- She told her, letting out a small chuckle. _Great, just what I need. A lonely old waitress with a taste for passive aggressive remarks.-_

"My mom lives a couple of towns away. I'm just making a quick pit stop."-Selina explained in a warm tone only she knew was fake. "Wouldn't want to show up famished, don't want a lecture."

"Oh, that's great. It's always nice to see children going back home."- Her lie had worked flawlessly. "So, what can get for you?"- " Burger and iced tea, if you have any."- Selina hadn't even looked at the menu, but she wanted to cut the conversation short. She jotted down her order and shouted at some guy named Jimmy to put a burger on the grill.

A thought suddenly crept over her mind. She was in the middle of nowhere, although she was almost sure no one would bother chasing after her, Selina still thought it reasonable to use "the clean slate" in such a place, it would be just like her to run into a cop when she thought she was safe.

Deleting herself off all the data bases was too easy, after typing in her name and birthdate all records of her were gone. _Hell_, even her grade school records had been erased. As she closed her laptop a strange feeling of liberation came over her. It was done, she could stop running. She could even stay in this shabby old diner and work as a waitress for the rest of her life if she felt like it. Selina chuckled at the notion. _No, I want the life I hoped for. _ A flow of images suddenly clouded her mind. _Fuck, not now. _Flashes of Bruce's smile invaded her thoughts. That dance he stole from that dirty bag of bones. She didn't need to try to remember the feel of his lips on hers…

For a long time she had hoped for a life in the sun. She would walk alone through the alleyways of Rome and get sick from walking in the Parisian pouring rain. It was the life she had been sold through black and white movies and magazine cut outs.

And how dare he steal that fantasy away from her? How could he alter a world that had been solely hers? In every scenario she now imagined, Bruce was there. The new life she yearned for didn't just seem unattainable, it was completely impossible to reach. Selina would never point out to him what she loved about a café hidden away sight. He could never grab her hand, like she was so sure he would, as she explored the snow covered streets of some ancient city. She mourned his death as much as she suffered for the life she could never have. An anger she hadn't felt in years built up inside her, but it wasn't vengeful or anarchical. It was the worst kind, the one that accompanies sadness. Within seconds that overwhelming force managed to jerk a few tears from her eyes.

_Perfect timing, this is what this woman has. I swear to… _The waitress set her order on the table just as she was recomposing herself. "Bad break up?"- She asked putting the condiments on the table to buy more conversation time, Selina suspected. "You have no idea."- A half smile of resignation curled in her lips as she said.

She ate her dinner with those same feelings of anger; Selina could feel an emptiness beginning to grow in her. It was starting to consume her; she hadn't noticed two truckers walking in and seating at the bar and asking "Susie" asking who the pretty stranger was. Even if she could have heard Susie telling them she was a girl going back to her mom's place after being dumped, she wouldn't have cared. Selina left more than enough cash to cover her bill and quickly left the beaten down place.

She was rummaging her pockets for her keys when she heard a familiar voice.

"I thought you would've picked something less discrete to drive."-He said playfully. She dropped her bag and attempted to walk smoothly towards him. But Selina knew she must have run to him; there was no room for composure once hope had been returned to her…


	2. Chapter 2

He saw her expression go from frustration to joyous surprise. He doubted that it was something she felt often but Bruce had to admit it was a good look for her. There wasn't a hint of a particular "act" upon her face but honesty was painted all over it. Suddenly, he felt her body pressing against his. He wasn't sure how it started but he found himself in the middle of a deep kiss, not unlike the last they had shared.

"Ass."-Selina said pulling away from him, with a slight glare. "I should've known. How did you…"

"Find you?"- He cut her off as he leaned against the car. "Tracking device on the flash drive I gave you. I've been after you all day, actually."

"And it made sense to catch up with me here..."- She knew that Bruce figured it was a situation of 'now or never'. It was a possibility, after all, that she could get dispose of the flash drive at any moment. "Want to get out of here?"- Selina said tentatively, trying to mask her happiness.

" It's probably good idea too; we got ourselves a small audience. "- He waved at Susie, the noisy waitress. She awkwardly waved back and slowly backed away from the window. That earned him a genuine laugh from Selina.

* * *

"Where were you headed anyway?"-He asked as she pulled away from the diner.

"Honestly, I don't know. I just drove as far away as I could from Gotham."- She said looking at him from the corner of her eye, still not quite believing he was there. Bruce was making her doubt her sanity. It was the second time he pulled an apparition act on her. _How did even get here? Did he hitchhike…I won't even bother asking. Why give him the satisfaction?_

"No concrete plan? How about a port then?"- He suggested. _**Sounded ridiculous once I said it, still, it's the safest way to go. **_

"A port? As in stowaways?"- She then picked up on his intentions. "I may not exist now, but Bruce Wayne is dead."

"The news might not have spread so far, but they when they do, I'm sure some 'securtiy' footage of me or us will turn up."-

"It's not like my plan was getting me anywhere. Besides, I've never been on a ship before." She bit her lip, doubting if she should say what ran across her mind. "You lied, you know."- Selina told him, gazing at him.

"I know, I'm sorry."- Bruce didn't know if he should reach out and touch her; her tone didn't give her away but her eyes did. She was doing a formidable job holding back her tears; he felt his stomach turn in guilt.

_There really isn't anything to forgive, but for some reason I can't tell him that. If anyone should apologize, it's me. But I won't, not yet. _

"You didn't even make it out of the city, did you?"-

He shook his head. "I ejected before reaching the water. Auto pilot was engaged from the beginning." Bruce felt he owed her a longer explanation. " I couldn't find you just yet. I never lost track of you, but I had a stab wound to take care of. It wasn't easy."- He laughed lightly, to lighten the mood. He lifted his shirt, revealing the gauze he used to cover the rustic stiches on his back.

"That looks messy."- There was something gentle in her voice this time. " Been on many ships as unregistered cargo, have you?"-. She smirked as she changed the subject; assuring him there was no need for further explanations or apologies.

"You could say that."

* * *

Selina was sitting up on the bed, listening to Bruce speak. She had yawned a couple hours ago, but he had the slight suspicion this rest stop was more about his wound than about her. Almost immediately after settling in that cheap motel room, they decided to board cruise where they could easily pose as a couple or as a janitor and maid.

Both of them could detect traces of exhaustion in the other one's voice, but neither one of them wanted to admit it. Somehow they had drifted into each other's past. Selina told him how she practically grew up on the streets; she always preferred them to the clandestine brothel she had been born into. No one there ever admitted to being her mother, but she liked to believe one of the older girls, Mary, was her mother. "She went by this generic, hooker name "Ginger". I always thought it was stupid, calling herself after her hair color. She protected me, gave me hell whenever I got in trouble. It was because of her I didn't end up like the other girls. Mary made sure I got to school when I was kid. Said she wanted me to be a dancer. 'You've got the frame for it.' She would say, not that she had any clue about it. "-

"So what happened?"- He asked resting his hand on her back.

" I was getting older, getting to a certain age."- Selina looked back at him, lying on his back. He was fighting sleep but attentive to her story. " I guess she did what she should've done in the first place. One day instead of walking me to school, she took me to Social Services. Told me not to try and find her again."

"I'm sorry."- He didn't know what else to say.

"Don't be. I wouldn't be here if she hadn't done what she did."- She touched his face, revealing a certain tenderness. " What about you?"-Selina got a sense that there was some sort of line she was crossing, but he didn't seem to mind.

"I was angry for a long time."- He said, well aware she knew about his past. " Alfred did his best, never once mentioned my lack of friends or asked too many questions about the black eyes I came home with. He even attempted to teach cricket once or twice. " – He chuckled at the memory. Selina made an encouraging sound as she lay on her back. "But he couldn't make me feel better. Tried as hard as I could, the anger wouldn't go away. I had to disappear for a while, to be alone with it. Then I learned how to put it in place where it could work for me"- He closed his eyes.

" I guess we're both the same."- She said before dozing off next to him.


	3. Chapter 3

She was curled up in a cheap chair, in a position that would've been uncomfortable for anyone else. The last fifteen minutes had been spent jotting down cruise routes and checking ID requirements to board them. Bruce was in the shower, just barely opening the showerhead. Selina could hear everything, even his heavy breathing as he pulled his shirt over his head and his bare feet on the linoleum. She should be panicking now. Selina had awoken to find herself, somehow, tangled in his arms and he in hers. There had been no alarm clock or banging in her door to wake her, just the rhythm of his breaths. That should have sent her running to the car and never looking back, but instead she stayed there. Wondering why the hell she didn't want to run, why it felt so _right._ Selina had asked him, almost begged him to come with her and Bruce did just that. In fact, he had gone after her. It concerned and excited her that there was no need of a mask with him. No need to lower and raise the pitch of her voice, act defenceless or fearless. Selina continued to lie there, possessed by that notion, knowing that she was absolutely free and oddly enough, had chosen to stay.

A small grunt was heard from the bathroom, and she knew it was the pain of the water falling on his bruised muscles. Selina looked at the bathroom there and then returned her focus to the computer screen. But Bruce's grunt had been enough to send a pang of remorse to her gut. Truth be told, he had broken her in a way she never thought possible. Had she known who he _really_ was she would have never taken him down there. She remembered watching from above, her hand the metal gate as Bane tore him apart. It had been the first time she had cried in many years, standing there powerless, knowing it was her fault. During her short stay at Blackgate she tried lying to herself, he wanted to confront Bane; she had taken him to Bane, just like he had asked. But it was her fault, and there was no other way to look at it. There had been no escape from it, from the ghost of Bruce Wayne and the Batman during the uprising. But he came back with a clean face and leaner, willing to trust her again. Selina felt the pieces inside her slowly gluing themselves together, even as the words "Sorry to keep letting you down" rolled out of her mouth. It was then that she knew; she wanted him with her, it was then when she had implored that he forget about the city, about Bane and just come with her. As if it was some black and white movie. He must have known that she never begged or craved company, surely he knew.

Selina wrote down a couple of more words on the pad, trying to push those thoughts to the back of her mind. She was here now, and that was all that mattered. _That was all that should matter. _She saw her reflection on the screen; a small smile formed on her lips, she covered it with her mouth, embarrassed. Embarrassed because she knew this would probably be her new default expression; her own.

It had been a challenge getting himself clean, trying to keep water from touching the stiches of his wound. At one point Bruce had grunted the water pressure became stronger and hit him on his sore chest. He examined himself in the mirror, his body looked like a map; different colored bruises seemed to pop out of his kin. A few cuts here and there, not to mention the stab wound he was nursing. He felt the tissue already scabbing where Miranda…Talia had stabbed him. Her betrayal had hurt yes, but he was already destroying the idea of Miranda Tate and replacing it with Talia's. Bruce was only grateful that he had not come to love her, that there had not been enough time for her to fool him into it. She had only managed to betray his trust and thankfully, he did not need to pull himself together. He had Selina. She wasn't leaving, he knew that much. Why had he so easily forgiven her? She lured him into a trap, not knowing who he hid behind the mask. But he understood that, even when in that moment anger pulsated through him, he understood her.

Bruce knew her strongest instinct was survival, and who was the Batman to ask her to give that up? He was a risk; she knew he could not guarantee her survival. She did what she had to. There had been no malice in it, perhaps no second thought given to his identity. That is what made her so easy to forgive. That's what made him ask for her help again; she would not do such a thing to him again. Selina had gone back for him, saved him from sure death. But she would never know that she was what led him down the cave again. Put on a suit and face Gotham again. That's something he would keep to himself for now.

He pictured what his life would be like now. Sure it would be at least a couple of weeks of jumping from one ship to the next, but what would come after that? What would they become? But this lingering thought wasn't a bother, it was a thrilling thought. Bruce walked out of the bathroom in an uncharacteristic jeans and t-shirt. He looked at Selina, contorted into a seemingly painful position in her chair; she was observing him, almost scanning him from head to toe. Almost not quite believing he was fully there.

"That took a while". – Selina wanted it to be snarky, but she felt her voice shift into a quieter tone. She asked herself what she had just said; it was an open concern for Bruce, she realized.

"I'm okay."- Bruce had picked up on the trace of gentleness in her voice; he wanted to make sure he knew it did not go by unnoticed. "What do you have so far?"- He came closer and she handed him the motel's notepad. Bruce examined her notes, very neatly written. Selina had organized them into different routes, but they all ended up in small villages along the Mediterranean. He rubbed his chin and chuckled a bit. Selina knew what she wanted and here she was, showing him just that. She watched him chuckle and bit her lip, impatiently waiting for his opinion. " We're going to needs IDs. And the first is the best, if you ask me."- Bruce felt warmth spread over him when he saw her eyes light up; Selina's eyes had always given her away.

"I'll go shower then."- She said playfully as she left her seat. Bruce had every intention to watch her walk away from him, but before he could, she was stealing yet another kiss from him. His hands wandered to her waist, pressing his body against hers, not minding the pain it was causing him. She broke away from him and planted a lighter kiss on his lips. "Shower, remember?"- A smirk adorned her face. " There's an awful lot to do today."- She teased and ran off before he could have anything to say about it. Selina gave him one last look before shutting the bathroom door.

Bruce recomposed himself and lay back on the bed, with immodest grin on his face.

Sorry about the wait and short chapter. Coursework consumes my life.


	4. Chapter 4

He watched her work. She was very meticulous in every way; every facial expression was controlled. The slightly raised eyebrow, the soft smile and just the right amount of confidence in her voice. It was a flawless performance from where he was standing. Bruce stood with the aura of an all-American tourist, of a "concealed" inadequacy and perceived excitement that came with leaving the country for the first time. He wore a baseball cap-he wasn't even sure of the team he had picked- and a generic white t-shirt. Not that he had gone through all the passport checks necessary to board the cruise ship; he had been one of the 'crew' loading in the supplies in the wee hours of that morning, grey jumpsuit and everything. Complete with an unshaven complexion, ID and a back harness. He hid himself in the many supply closets and posed as many people and gave many different explanations as to what exactly he was doing. It wasn't anything he hadn't done before. But was Selina was doing, it was something he had to admire, even from a considerable distance.

It was a beautiful mask she was wearing, her hair in a braid, drug-store sunglasses rested on her hair and the strings of a navy bikini she wore underneath a tank top were showing on her almost translucent shoulders. Selina, much like himself, looked the part of a tourist escaping winter on a Caribbean cruise. They had meticulously arranged every aspect of the trip- that would become transatlantic- in a couple of days. Clothes were bought at different stores in different towns, everything in cash. Fake passports were created in a matter of days, a joint effort, no less. Erasing a person form the world's databases might've been impossible without the "Clean Slate" but creating one wasn't all that difficult. Amusingly enough, Selina chose to keep her own name. Not that any other name would have suited her just as her own did and considering 'Selina Kyle' did not officially exist, it seemed like a perfect fit. Both concluded that it was necessary to delete all records of Bruce Wayne somewhere along the line; when the news of his 'death' had come and gone. But for now, he would be sneaking into and out of ships and carrying a passport for 'Eric Johnson', just in case he ever got stopped. Selina would be doing the same in some cases, but today she was stepping into the ship as a genuine traveller.

Bruce allowed himself to emit a sound that was between laughter and a sigh. She hated her attire along the nodding and quiet responses she gave the young man with the clipboard. He was trying to be charming and impress a pretty passenger travelling alone. This was a woman whose skin looked it had never seen the sun and had an almost nervous smile, but still handled herself securely. Maybe a thousand fantasies were running through the guy's mind as Selina calculated the 'right' amount of teeth to bare and walked away to find her room. She glanced at Bruce for three seconds and then lowered her sunglasses to cover her eyes. He waited for a minute or two before following her, always keeping his eye on her slender figure. Room 558, he gently pushed the door open, knowing Selina would've left it like open for him.

"I have to say this feels good."- She was lying on the middle of the bed, shoes off and her hair loose on the pillow. She had already made it her nest. "Oh, I got you this."- She reached for something in her bag and tossed him a green plastic wristband. "We wouldn't want you to stand out at the buffet, now would we?"- Her voice had gone back to its normal ring, low, playful and honest. He loved knowing that it was reserved for him alone.

"No, we can't have that. Besides, buffets are no places to be seen."- He said with a tone of fake smugness throwing his bag on the chair next to him.

"Oh, please. I think Mets loving Eric Johnson has no problem eating jumbo sized shrimp like the rest of the melanin-impaired tourists." – She replied with an earnest grin while looking at him invitingly.

"Mets? I could've sworn it was a Yankees cap."- An eyebrow was raised and his tone was lighter than it had ever been. He tossed his cap aside carelessly and threw himself on the bed, landing next to Selina's thighs.

"You'd think that the first I'd want to do on a Caribbean cruise would be to be out on the deck, taking it all in. But I don't. New found freedom suddenly means catching up on years of just…lying around."- She said running her fingers through his growing hair, it had become her favourite thing to do. It meant having the liberty to be that affectionate with someone with no feelings of guilt or any ulterior motives. The seconds or minutes she spent with her fingers in his hair were always one of the most liberating moments in her life. Not even breaking out of juvy for the first time felt this way.

"It's been a long day and who needs the sun anyway?"- He replied and his voice suggested that she shouldn't feel guilty for not embracing freedom with the "right" amount of euphoria. Bruce planted a small kiss on her bare thighs, almost out of habit, and then looked up at her. They always seemed to find a way to get lost in each other. He hoped to God he'd always have her. Though he didn't dare to say aloud to Selina. To think that it took so little for her to become a necessity; he would lose too much if she suddenly vanished. All these thoughts had transpired in the few seconds his and Selina's eyes had met.

With that kiss planted on her thigh she felt her expression change. And she could've sworn [ but completely denied] that something resembling a giggle wanted to be born inside her mouth. Instead, she obliged him with a sincere grin. Others might have described her eyes as shining, but she wouldn't. She would merely say it was how her body reacted to Bruce. In a completely idiotic way. When he was only Bruce Wayne, Gotham's golden boy turned hermit, she was still in complete control of herself. It was when he had been unmasked when she slowly began losing her composure. When he first came back to her it took a great deal of effort to recompose herself. But now, now there was no way of helping it. But of course, this should not escape her lips. She had always been one to keep quiet about the important things. Besides, Selina rather enjoyed this silent understanding.

Before they both knew it, his skin was on hers, and with that the afternoon had come and gone. It was only at night that they dared leave their room. Even at that time of the evening, the baseball cap was still placed on his head. Bruce checked his complexion in the mirror, with his ever growing beard. He made sure that some odd strand of hair peered at his forehead. To that he added cheap reading glasses. No one could mistake him for a Wayne.

"I hope those are not permanent."- She almost purred from behind him.

"Eric Johnson has poor eye sight. " –He replied

"And not a dime to his name, by the look of him." – Selina used that low tone she reserved for teases.

"He spent his last one on these glasses."-

The dining room, or rather, hall was crowded. It was one of those places that never emptied itself; it was full of newlyweds, their rings fresh on their fingers and old men and women, sometimes in groups and sometimes alone. It was the perfect crowd in which to go unnoticed; everyone is too caught up with themselves to notice anything outside their world. It was like this that Selina Kyle and Eric Johnson were able to dine at peace and even spoke flirtatiously to one another. A sense of strange normalcy washed over them. Here they were, dining with a thousand other people, laughing and having a few sips of cheap wine [passed off as expensive]. It was an odd setting, one they had never found themselves in. They knew they were unlike anyone else there and suddenly, almost simultaneously, they both felt a strange sense of excitement. The childish excitement of sharing a secret. Not that they would know what it was, for it was the first time either had felt it.

They wandered around the decks, silently, as they have become used to over the years. Bruce held on lightly to end of Selina's sweater, as she led the way. He knew she was taking it all in, the sea breeze, the waves, the faint echoes of laughter… He would be lying if he said he wasn't doing the same, but he enjoyed it even more watching her reaction. Even the small things she probably thought he didn't notice, like the widening of her eyes or soft smiles that would appear here and there.

He had never seen her like this; if she could a catch her reflection she would say the exact same thing. She wouldn't believe it either.


	5. Chapter 5

The small of salt and fresh bread crept into the bedroom through the breeze. It was early in the morning; the sun might have risen maybe an hour ago. Bruce felt the cotton sheets slowly sliding off his body as he dangled his leg over the edge of the bed, asking himself if he should get up or not. Selina was out for her morning swim and he liked for her to find him in bed when she returned covered in sea water. He liked hearing the key turning, and loved how her hair stuck to her forehead and her refusal to carry a towel with her. But his favourite thing was to share some sort of routine with her; he loved brushing his teeth while she bathed , how she brushed her hair while he watched from the tub some mornings, and how many mornings one of them decided to remain in the tub while the other bathed. He could lay on that bed just filling his thoughts on images that had become familiar over the past weeks.

They had been living in a small Mediterranean village, where no one could recognize them or understand them. It had been over month since they had left their last ship; their skin was beginning to darken and maybe one day he would be able to shave and forget about being recognized. Bruce had several moments in which he would catch himself feeling warm and free, it had been hard to interpret those moments at first. The last time he had felt like that had been as a child, running around the grounds of the Wayne estate being chased by Rachel or by his mother and father. He was aware that they would need to keep moving, and that their time in the village was coming to its end. It was only fair, they had just been released into the world and settling down so quickly would be a great injustice, especially to Selina. She will ache for more or maybe she already was but he did not mind at all. He would never grow tired of her quiet reactions to new places and new people.

_The sun would set soon in the village. Selina was looking at its reflection on the water while he ordered two coffees, a ciambella and a lemon tart. The waiter took the order and she was able to recognize some sort of flattery directed at her or to Bruce about her. He said nothing but smiled modestly. _

"_He seemed particularly gleeful."- She told him with her eyebrow slightly raised, making an effort to look lively. He knew she was exhausted; the last night on the ship had taken a toll on both of them. They spent it walking around, and once in a while sleeping in random crevices or chairs._

"_He was just telling me how lovely the lady is. And that he recommended I switch one of the coffees to a fragolino, as the lemon tart is not very sweet."- Bruce admired her under the orange light. He was finding it harder and harder to concentrate. He could only think of going back to their room in that three story old building and collapsing on their bed. They had been so glad to have finally reached mainland that they had pushed their exhaustion to their back of their minds and managed to explore as much of the village as they could. _

"_You'd never think people will live up to their stereotypes, but they do. It's about the fourth time today you've been reminded of the loveliness of the lady."- She said lowly. It had been meant as flirtatious but at that point of the day, only traces of that nature were left in her voice. _

"_I guess they do. It could be worse, though."-Bruce was about to work something clever into the conversation when the waiter returned with the waiter returned with their order. They both thanked him and without another word dug into their food. _

_Selina came alive with three bites of her ciambella and two sips of her coffee. She had that very same expression through most of the day; her eyes widened and shone just a bit whenever she had a taste of something extraordinary. Her toes were probably curled as the color returned to her cheeks. He prided himself in being able to detect such subtle changes in her mood and demeanour. To the waiter, perhaps, she had looked and felt the same as she did minutes ago, but he knew better. Today he had kissed her openly at the market, right when she had returned with two slices of cheese. She had that same expression she had that first night on the first cruise, it was silent childish wonder. She was thrown of balance. It had been more affectionate than usual even if it had been a short kiss. Sort of recognition of their freedom and their familiarity. _

_It wasn't too long after the sun had set when they were already sleeping in white cotton sheets with the sea breeze coming and going into the room. _

His leg was still dangling over the edge and the cotton sheets were now on the floor. There were no plans to move in the next few minutes unless a key could be heard unlocking the door.

Selina was floating not too far away from the shore. She had found a retired spot, where the water was still and began with a natural pool. They both had their routines, Bruce would go out late at night and always right before midnight, as if he were under some sort of spell. Some of their old habits were too deeply rooted; she'd leave their room when the sun was barely visible and she would only return when it would start hitting her straight in the face. Bruce never asked where she went, and had never asked to come with her, he only knew she'd always come back. And that was enough for him. The same was true for her, Selina never asked what he did or where he went in his outings, all that mattered was that he'd come back, covered in sweat no less.

Selina's favourite part of the morning was to imagine Bruce's movements once he heard the door being unlocked. He liked for her to find him still in their bed, sometimes half asleep, just as much as she liked hearing his voice as she fixed herself a bath. Sometimes he'd brush his teeth while she soaked or he'd stay in bed, still talking to her, usually carrying on where the conversation had finished the night before.

"_I don't know. I guess I always fantasized about running away. I did many times. Unsuccessfully too."- They had been talking about childhood fantasies the night before. Those conversations usually started and ended in a dark place for both of them, but it didn't bother them. It was part of them and they couldn't ignore it. _

"_How far did you get?"- He came in, opened the hot water tab for a few seconds and then settled himself in front of her. _

"_Two stations away from Gotham. That was the last time I took the bus. I swear that social worker was an actual hound. But then again, it's not hard to spot a twelve year old travelling alone."- She soaped her neck and arms and their knees touched. _

" _I took the train. I didn't get much far either. Alfred already knew where to find me. He made no fuss about it. Just handed me a sandwich and opened the car door for me to get in. I didn't get much better once I went to boarding school. I'd go back instead of being caught."- Selina shook her head with a small laughed masked as a sigh. _

"_I remember when they brought back that time. The family I had been staying with didn't want me back, so I just returned to the home. They had this old TV there, really too old to be working. I was lucky I was brought back almost in the middle of the night; I had it all to myself. – He seemed lost in her words, probably feeling some sort of guilt. Selina readjusted her body so that they would be able to fit more comfortably in the tub. "I turned to the black and white channel. It was the only thing on TV I liked." _

" _Why?" – He took the soap from her and scrubbed his arms clean. _

"_Those movies weren't like life. Everyone was dressed so well. They all spoke so fast and perfectly and there was an order to things. My favorites were the ones that didn't seem to have an ending. You know, the ones that just keep replaying in your head and you imagine yourself in that situation." _

"_Yeah, I had a few like that too. I just wanted to fix them."- He rubbed her calf with his hand. _

"_Fix them?"_

"_Yeah. Most of the time I just wanted them to have some sort of happy ending."- There was that feeling again, the sensation of crossing a line. Bruce seemed to have said it without much thought, it had just rolled out. _

" _I know."- Selina had secretly done the same throughout most of her childhood. Before she understood the mess that had been her life. She wanted to say that they both had made out alive out of war and were starting fresh. But she wouldn't. Bruce must have reached her same conclusion, that somehow, life was working out for them at that precise moment. _

The sun was beginning to blind her; it was time for her to go. Selina walked quickly and examined thoughts that had been at the back of her mind for a few days now. She already knew where she wanted to have lunch today and almost every day. She could pin point each place in a mental map of the village and that could only mean one thing. It was time to move on, they_ had_ to go. They hadn't come this far to settle for this first place they landed on. As she went up the stairs in the old hotel, the concierge gave her a knowing smile and wished her a good morning; just liked he wished them a good night whenever she and Bruce came back from dinner. Yes, they definitely needed to leave. There was still so much to see.

Her hand turned the doorknob slowly and quietly enough to give Bruce time to decide whether he would like to remain half asleep or not. The sheets were on the floor and he looked at her, like he had been waiting years for her to arrive. Selina let out a small laugh and went into the bathroom, undressing on her way there. Bruce slipped out of bed and stopped at the bathroom door.

" You know the concierge asked me where I go every night and where you go every morning."- He told her, scratching his beard. He didn't how well he was working the subject into a conversation.

"That man needs to get a new book or something. He finds us too interesting for our own good." – She sighed and sat at the edge of the tub. "Maybe we should just leave."- Selina looked at him, so he knew her suggestion was real and not just a random comment.

"I think we should."- His eyes softened.

"Tonight?"- Selina's toes curled and her cheeks became slightly flushed as she gave him a defined side smile, as if he needed to be convinced.

"We could be in Rome tonight if we left earlier than that."- His left eyebrow was raised as he watched the excitement spread through her body; she tapped her fingers on the tub, bit her lips and her eyes locked with his.

"I guess you should go break the concierge's heart and tell him we're leaving."


	6. Chapter 6

"Now tell me I was right." She led the way, this time Selina actually pulled him as she went. Her movements were silent and gracious, a reminder that not everything had been forgotten.

"This is better than coming during the day, yes." Their steps were inaudible, even on a path of dirt. It was almost 3 am and they were as alone as they could be in the Roman Forum. Bruce had to admit that it was one of those rare occasions where he was just as taken with his surroundings as he was with Selina. The night was cool and some of the ruins were lighted. He recognized this moment as a shared first experience. "Why do I get the feeling this wasn't a spur of the moment thing?" She knew he was smirking without even looking at him; his tone gave him away easily.

" It wasn't." There wasn't a hint of guilt in her voice. "Would you have come if I had suggested this morning instead of an hour ago?" It was Selina's way of telling Bruce she wanted him here, with her. She could have easily come by herself, perhaps not even telling him where she was going.

"Well, I..yeah. OK, I would have needed some convincing…but yeah, this was a good idea." He pulled her back and kissed her deeply, like he wouldn't in a crowd. There was more than one advantage to being alone in the Roman ruins. She had distaste for crowds; he learned that soon enough on the ships they had been. Her favourite time for anything was when the amount of people had reduced to an "acceptable" amount. It was no different in Rome. The curiosity was visible in her eyes whenever she caught sight of the ruins in the few days they had been in Rome. Selina absolutely refused to go in with the camera bearing tourists though she never verbalized it. The rejection of the idea was imprinted in her attire and the way she carried herself. Nothing about her screamed tourist. It wasn't a disguise; she wasn't even trying to blend in. She was just being Selina.

"This beard will be the death of me." She rubbed his jaw. "Now come on. There's one place that is just dying to have us." This time Selina tugged once and he followed, with a small smile that he pretended had been born out of resignation. They arrived at the Coliseum and for a minute or two they just stood there, not saying a word. Selina then turned to him and gave him a knowing look, he shook his head slightly and before he knew it, she had already jumped the protective fence. If there had been a security guard anywhere near, Selina would have been confused for a shadow. She motioned for him to follow, with her eyebrow half raised and an indecent grin on her face, challenging him.

At this point in his life trespassing into an ancient building was a small feat. He ran towards the fence and matched Selina's speed, but was well aware his movements here not as fluid as hers had been. As soon as he had landed next to her she pressed her finger to his lips. He didn't know if Selina was being cautious or just doing it for a thrill. Bruce would be lying if he said he didn't feel at home at that precise moment and judging by the way Selina's eyes shone, she was feeling the same way. They walked quietly, Selina with her hand on his chest, as if she were going to come to sudden stop. The way into the arena had been uneventful and it was almost a disappointment that they managed to get inside with such ease.

Selina had adopted her quiet wonder mode. The light that came from the reflectors outside gave the ruins an even more surreal feel to it. For many days she had been wondering if one morning she was going to wake up in her bed in Old Town or even Blackgate. Hell, if she woke up in Arkham it at least would have made more sense. It had always been one of her fantasies to be in place like this and to be feeling exactly those precise emotions of joy and peace but she had never expected for it to become a reality. She was aware of the significance of the moment and running her fingers through the small crevices of the bricks that made up the place Selina almost became overwhelmed. Those days in the ships and even the month they spent in the village didn't compare to this. This was something she had lived many times over when she couldn't sleep. It was a shared moment and she suddenly became aware how much it didn't paralyze her with fear. She had fallen in love with those brief realizations; she loved discovering just how exceptional her feelings and behaviour was. It was if she had just unearthed a side of her that had remained dormant throughout her entire life. She could just forget that tortured soul bullshit and so could Bruce.

After a half an hour all that could be explored had been explored and Selina had perched herself on a railing, looking down at where the arena used to be. Bruce placed himself next to her, facing the opposite way. She pulled him close for a kiss and after they broke apart she made sure there was still touching. Bruce melted at her touch, he tried to hide it sometimes, but she could always tell. His whole body would shift and his breaths were longer and deeper, even if only slightly.

"This is going to stay a while longer, isn't it? Especially after today."- She ran her fingers through his bearded face and neck. Today Selina had found him sitting at the edge of the bed, as if he had stopped whatever he was doing. When she realized what he was watching on TV, the look on his face made sense. It was a short segment on the death of Bruce Wayne, Gotham's billionaire golden boy. He was reported to have been executed by Bane himself after he had been taken prisoner on the last days of the reign of terror. Either Fox or Gordon must have been the source of the story, either way the news was out. They had to be extra careful.

"I'm afraid so." This time his smile was a weak one with traces of guilt on his face. "It's strange, isn't it?" There was change in his voice, it seemed darker. She was starting to regret bringing up the subject. There was still some weight he was carrying and the news today had reminded him of it.

"What is?"

"How a place like this can be so peaceful now. So many people were killed here, you'd half expect the walls to bleed or something like that." By the end of the sentence he was facing the arena like she was.

"Sometimes it just works that way, I guess. I remember this one time when I was a kid Mary took me church with her. She'd ask for forgiveness a lot, you know?"- Selina had always found it funny how this prostitute she had always thought was her mother could be so fond of church. "Anyway, she took me one day, maybe hoping I'd like it or it'd put me on a path of some kind. She thought I'd be at peace there, with all the candles in the big cathedral and the stained glass. But I didn't, it scared the living hell out of me. It was one of the few times I cried. I broke loose from her and ran outside." He looked at her puzzled, not quite knowing where she was going with her story.

"I might've gotten lost somewhere along the way, but the point is that sometimes you find peace odd places, not always where people expect you to find it." She wasn't talking about church or the Coliseum any longer. It hadn't been her original intention, but she meant it just as much.

"You're right." The meaning hadn't been lost on him and he acknowledged it by discretely stroking her hand. "We should go." The cloud that had been forming above him seemed to be disintegrating, his tone was becoming lighter. "Maybe we'll have a miracle tonight and there'll be an open gelateria on our way back." She laughed quietly at his childlike statement. He was already holding his out for her.

"Yeah, let's go."

AN: I thought I'd update before my life is consumed by revision, even if it was a short update.


	7. Chapter 7

It was almost dawn when she reached the top of the steps. Sweat ran down her back and she took a deep breath as she looked over the city. They had been in Florence for three weeks. It was easy to be taken away by the almost too poetic streets it possessed; churches everywhere and small cafes as far as the eye could see. But even as Selina overlooked the city, she had to admit that she missed the Roman streets. Rome was dirtier, bolder and rougher. It reminded her of Gotham, Selina realized. She hated admitting that perhaps deep down part of her would always miss that city, dirty and cruel as it was.

Even the morning mist floating over Florence reminded her of the many times she found herself returning from a job at dawn. A faint chuckle escaped her as she felt just how distant her old life seemed to be. She had almost accidentally ended up with Bruce; nothing except their next destination was ever planned. It was strange how they just seemed to fit, a child raised by the streets and one of privilege. There was some arguing at times; perhaps it was best described as sparring. It was often over in minutes and it ended up with a laugh of resignation or subtle shake of a head. It was never of a malicious sort; after all it had been present since the very beginning of their relationship. Selina could only remember one instance when she had truly felt upset; it was one night on the third cruise they had boarded.

_They were sitting on the 'wooden' floor at their room; this one was smaller than the first they've had, it almost had a claustrophobic feel to it. In attempt to make the room feel larger she had opted to have her dinner on the floor and Bruce joined her shortly after. The crowds in that particular ship were larger and they often chose to stay in to avoid "rush hour". Selina knew there was something hanging over them and that their idyllic period was perhaps coming to a close. She had to confront him; it was the healthy thing to do. They couldn't just go on like this, and she'd kill herself if they ever ended up talking about the weather. _

"_Maybe we need to talk." She told him in confident tone as she meet his gaze. _

"_What about?" He asked softly, almost on the verge of nervous. He had that same expression he had worn when he visited her apartment in Old Town. It was filling her guilt, the same guilt she had managed to keep at bay. _

" _I don't know. You tell me. " She gave him a side smile to put him at ease, it wasn't one of 'those' talks. He seemed uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his neck. _

"_I.."He hesitated furrowing his brow. "We haven't really talked about those months in Gotham or what happened after I got taken" She noticed how he was deliberately avoiding her part in the whole situation. "I mean, you know that when I was six I ran around the house pretending I was Zorro. And I know you had an old cassette player that you used to drown out the sounds of the brothel." He pressed his lips together. " And while that's great, we've somehow avoided talking about…"_

"_Those months you were gone." Selina finished his sentence and she was pretty sure remorse painted her face, judging by the way he was looking at her. Parts of her narration he had seen for himself like the neighbourhood that had become her territory and the food rationing. But she walked him through the riots and the spoils those around her enjoyed. For the first few minutes Selina had been careful about revealing the impact it had on her but Bruce's expression made it inevitable. She found herself telling him how from the moment that gate closed between them she knew it was wrong; it made her feel dirty. It was like a perpetual bad taste in her mouth and there was always a knot in her throat. Her thoughts always managed to gravitate towards what she had done almost every minute. There was no escape from it, even when those around her enjoyed the spoils. The 'storm' she had been looking forward turned out to be a sham. She saw it as such and hated that those who had been 'liberated' were blind to the truth. _

" _But if it weren't for you Gotham would have been destroyed." He told her when it appeared to be drained from by her tale. _

"_Maybe it wouldn't have been there in the first place if I hadn't been involved." Selina looked away from him and let out defeated sigh. _

"_You know that's not true. You might try to deny it, but you know that's not true." _

"_Doesn't erase the fact that it happened." She mumbled quite unsure on how to act. _

"_It doesn't matter now." He was trying to snap her out of her guilt trip, she was very aware of that. But those words ignited anger in her, it mattered to her. And it probably always will. She looked at him in disbelief and left the room as quickly as she could. It wouldn't be too long before he found her but Selina made sure he would have a harder time than usual. _

" _I'm sorry." She heard him say behind her about an hour later. " That was a stupid thing to say. But you shouldn't have run off like you did." Selina was looking out at the darkness and he leaned against the railing, facing the opposite way. She stayed silent, it had been wrong to leave so abruptly, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction just yet. _

"_Fine." He sighed and made no attempt to touch her or to face her. "It never goes away, you know? You will always feel conflicted about this, the rational part of you knows that it wasn't your fault, that things would have found a way to happen exactly the way they did. The other part of you will probably never let it go; it will forever replay those moments that you think are so crucial." _

"_Is that how it is for you?" Her voice was getting back to its usual tone. It was her version of a peace offering. _

"_For the most part, yeah." _

A loud growl from her stomach quickly reminded Selina that it was time to head back and to stop by a store to get some breakfast. They had decided to stay in Florence, or rather, Bruce seemed really keen on it and she agreed to it, with a few conditions of course. For one, no more hotels. She hated the feeling of people keeping tabs on them and being confined to one room was starting to feel a lot like a sarcophagus; especially in the bigger cities. So they had settled in a modest apartment, the landlady warned them about it being a shady part of town. Told Selina, who at that point could hold a decent conversation in Italian, not to walk alone late at night. She thanked her while she and Bruce exchanged a devilish gaze. As for the rest of her conditions…Selina merely smirked thinking about them.

She stopped by the one grocer who was open at so early in the morning, it was in the centre of town, a bit far from their neighbourhood, but it didn't matter. Selina enjoyed the morning walk back to the apartment. It always smelled of fresh bread and the tourists weren't up just yet. Carrying a small bag with a few eggs, bread and ham and nibbling on biscotti as she went Selina spotted someone. She slowed down her pace and made sure he wouldn't be able to see her or feel her presence. It was a familiar white haired man; she had to follow him for a block or two to confirm it was Alfred, Bruce's butler/father figure. He never did detect that he was being followed; he seemed overwhelmed by his surroundings and there was an awful sadness about him. It had been the same kind she had felt before that night at the diner.

She swiftly made her way back to her neighbourhood, not quite knowing how to feel or what to say to Bruce.

He looked down at the black case he held in his hands. It was bounded in velvet (he supposed), it was extremely well kept from years of being kept in a safe. The last time he had seen his mother's pears they had been around Selina's neck. Her skin so pale that the pearls were lost in it; they rested millimetres away from a mole he had become particularly fond of. Before he went after Selina he made sure to retrieve the pearls from Wayne Manor and stuck them in his rucksack. He was almost positive Selina hadn't found them. Almost.

Today seemed like a good day to finally gift her pearls or give them back to her, really. Today he was absolutely certain that his gesture wouldn't frighten her and make her go for a run out of routine. His act was planned, something that was rare in their relationship. Maybe it signified some sort of evolution or some sort of significant progression. Whatever it was today was the day. He was convinced after what had transpired late at night.

_He woke up in a cold sweat. Not knowing where the hell he was. Was it Gotham? Was it that pit? Then he saw the orange light coming off their cheap clock. It was 3 a.m. how suiting, the devil's hour, he thought. At that point he had become aware that Selina was hanging over him. She was just as pale as he felt, covered in the same cold sweat. Had she been going through the same hell he had being through? Their eyes were firmly locked even in darkness. Selina's hair was a mess and some of it stuck to her forehead. Before he could finish studying her condition she had thrown herself on his chest and he wrapped her in a tight hug. He began crying, probably even sobbed, he didn't know why. He just knew it felt awful, whatever he saw in his dream made him feel dead. And judging by the warm tears he felt on his chest, Selina was feeling the same. _

_Neither of them said anything. They just drifted back to sleep, almost rocking one another. Maybe it was some kind post-traumatic stress manifesting itself. God knows they had been through shit. They both had had nightmares in the past but the simultaneous despair was new. New and unwanted. But if they both ever awoke at the devil's hour again looking like they had just met him then he knew they could pull each other out of it. _

Yeah, today was a good day to give her the pearls back. He knew he would struggle to string his sentences together, pausing here and there. Bruce would probably just handing her the black velvet case and have her open it. Selina would probably say something in that low voice of hers, something that hid and exposed how grateful she really was. She'd move her ponytail to the side and she would probably plant her lips roughly on his, just like she did they first time they kissed. Hopefully.

The key could be heard turning across their small studio apartment. Selina silently opened the door as habit to avoid waking him up. She settled the groceries on the kitchen table and looked a bit surprised to see Bruce up and waiting for her. A strange sort of smile was born in her lips and her eyes had a new expression on them. Nothing was wrong with her, but there was definitely something new about her. Bruce almost saw an air of protectiveness in her.

"Didn't think you'd be up." She was referring to their tempestuous night

"Well, I've got something to tell you." His voice was soft and still bathed in a tired quality.

"So do I." Selina's voice acquired a tone he had never heard. Bruce was unable to place it but her softened eyes and a hand that lay uncharacteristically on her mouth hiding a quiet smile put him at ease. Even if he couldn't decipher her expression entirely.


End file.
